Box Elder, Acer negundo

About Box Elder (Acer negundo) 32 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Acer negundo is a species in the Sapindaceae (Soapberry) family native to North America known by the common names Box Elder, Boxelder Maple, and Maple Ash. In California it is found in the coastal mountain ranges from Mendocino County to San Diego County and in the Central Valley. It is often found in streamside locations but develops some drought tolerance in maturity if roots can reach underground moisture. It is deciduous with interesting fall color and seed pods and makes an attractive and hardy tree for woodland gardens.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree

Size

35 - 66 ft tall
40 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

White, Cream

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Attractive to many beneficial insects
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 24 confirmed

, 64 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemusAntheraea polyphemus

Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth Orthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisci

Manto Tussock Moth Orgyia antiquaOrgyia antiqua

Spotted Tussock Moth Lophocampa maculataLophocampa maculata

Virginian Tiger Moth Spilosoma virginicaSpilosoma virginica

Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila

Salt-and-Pepper Geometer Biston betulariaBiston betularia

Landscaping Information

Sun

Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture

Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries

Carried by 32

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Medium, Slow

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils as long as adequate moisture is present. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Bird Gardens, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with other riparian trees such as Maples (other Acer sp.), Alders (Alnus sp.), Dogwoods (Cornus sp.), Ash (Fraxinus latifolia or velutina), Northern Black Walnut (Juglans hindsii), Cottonwood (Populus sp.), Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), Willows (Salix sp.), Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), and Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica)

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Scarification and 2-3 mos. stratification; use fresh seeds.

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

River/stream edges and wet places in coastal mountains and the central valley, usually as part of a woodland or forest complex

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 5.4" - 63.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.62", Coldest Month: 28.8" - 55.2", Hottest Month: 56.0" - 79.6", Humidity: 0.14" - 27.71", Elevation: 3" - 7419"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Acer negundo var. californicum
Common Names: Ashleaf Maple, Boxelder Maple, California Boxelder, Manitoba Maple, Maple Ash

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Box Elder

Acer negundo

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Box ElderAcer negundo

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Box Elder

Acer negundo